Acceptance

Acceptance is not about giving up, but accepting that the pain will remain with you and is not curable can certainly be a challenge.

Persistent pain is a bit like an unwanted visitor that can keep some people searching for possible treatments to keep their unwelcome guest away. The stress of focusing on the pain itself only makes the suffering much worse.

Although some people understand this straight away, acceptance can happen over time. You will become more accepting as you take action to focus on goals and the way you want your life to be.

It’s not about focusing repeatedly on a life spent trying to get rid of the pain. Accepting changes and losses can take time, but sharing these issues with someone you trust can be helpful. Recognising unexpected positives like meeting new people and doing different things in new ways can provide a real boost.

Being patient with and kind to yourself also makes a real difference, rather than worrying about the negatives in life caused by pain. Click here to watch a helpful video about persistent pain and use the tools and other people’s stories on this page to help you gain a better understanding.